The Nile Delta – MERIS, 1 March 2003

The contrast between the lush vegetation of the Nile delta and river course and the dry sand of the Sahara can be seen spectacularly in this enhanced true colour Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) image. The grey area to the bottom of the "triangle" of the delta is Egypt's Capitol, Cairo.

On the border between Israel and Jordan is the Dead Sea, at 412m below the level of the Mediterranean, the lowest point on earth. The Dead Sea also has salinity 10 times that of the Mediterranean, and due to the high evaporation rate in the area, salt accumulates, and can be extracted, as can be seen in the southern part of this large inland lake. The lighter blue/green areas are increased evaporite deposits, in this case salt. We can also see the structure of the saltpans crossed vertically by a canal.

Technical Information:
Instrument: MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS)

Date of Acquisition: 1 March 2003
Orbit number: 05228
Instrument features: Full Resolution image (300 - metre resolution)